Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

I don't think I've taken this long (6 weeks!) to read a book in my life. Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides, is a wonderfully different story chronicling the life (actually the pre-life as well) of Calliope Stephanides where the discovery she's actually a he shocks the Orthodox Greek family and community in which Cal has grown. So, let's get it right: Calliope is born with a 5-alpha-reductase deficiency, an intersexed person who looks fairly androgynous. She is mistaken for a girl at birth, is raised as one and, upon confrontation, runs away to become a boy.

Truly, I hadn't even read the summary for the book - it is a Book Club pick and a Pulitzer-prize winner, so I read it. Eugenides is a very talented author, effortlessly weaving bland textbook-like facts with macabre humour and dry wit. I was completely pulled into the story and, despite having big breaks between readings, never forgot the brilliant characters. I didn't feel compelled to ever pick up the book; but, when I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would be hard-pressed to put it down. It's a strange reaction, I will admit. Desdemona's weaknesses, Lefty's charm, Tessie's worries, Milton's stubborness, Lina's audacity, Zizmo's malice... they were all distinct voices in what could have easily become a cacophonous chaos. I loved how loose trheads which I thought were simply the reflection of real life came back to finish off in neat little knots.

Some of my favourite passages from the book have nothing at all to do with the story. From "a word on penises" (p. 452) to a "black screen" (p. 59) to "baptism" (p. 221), there seems to be no subject held reverent or off-limits. The book made me laugh and cry and think, sometimes all at once. But be warned, this is not a light read or even an easily-stomached read (and not for the reasons you may think) - but it is a worthwhile read. I do not regret getting it in hardcover.